The Lance Armstrong Foundation Celebrates 15 Years of Serving People Affected by Cancer With Special Events October 18-21

AUSTIN, TX--(Marketwire - Oct 10, 2012) - In celebration of 15 years of serving and empowering people affected by cancer, the Lance Armstrong Foundation has planned a series of special events in Austin, Oct. 18-21, including a star-studded gala and the Team LIVESTRONG Challenge featuring the Foundation's founder and chairman, Lance Armstrong.

"The commitment of one man to help fellow survivors and their families before knowing his own fate has led us to this anniversary," said Doug Ulman, president and CEO of the Lance Armstrong Foundation. "Thanks to Lance Armstrong, more than 2.5 million cancer survivors have benefitted from the free navigation services the Foundation provides. What began as a small organization in Austin, Texas, now has reach and recognition in every corner of the world."

"I am incredibly proud of the progress we have made on behalf of cancer survivors around the world over the past 15 years," said Armstrong. "Our success is the result of a collaborative effort within the cancer community, empowering countless survivors to tell their stories and the unwavering support of our generous corporate partners and friends across the globe. The future of our organization is bright and you can count on us to continue leading the unified global movement for people affected by cancer with greater intensity than ever before."

The weekend's events begin on Thurs., Oct. 18 with Rev, a forum designed to spur action to improve the lives of people affected by cancer thru cutting-edge technologies and ideas. The Foundation partnered with Genentech to bring health care professionals, cancer survivors and advocates together to engage in dialogue, identify goals to fight and defeat the disease, as well as brainstorm the means to achieve those goals. Speakers include Pulitzer Prize-winning author Siddhartha Mukherjee; Dr. Lawrence Shulman, Chief Medical Officer of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute; Dr. Jack West, cancer physician and founder of Global Resource for Advancing Cancer Education (GRACE); and Ethan Zohn, two-time cancer survivor turned advocate. Topics of discussion will include ideas on data sharing, revolutionizing research, engaging the public in the fight against cancer, collaborative efforts and innovative ways for healthcare providers to better assist in providing care.

On Fri., Oct. 19, the Foundation is hosting 15: An Evening with LIVESTRONG, a star-studded gala at the Austin Convention Center designed to raise funds to support its free navigation services. Participants in the evening's program include Norah Jones, Stephen Marley, Sean Penn, Ben Stiller and Robin Williams, as well as silent and live auctions. Guests will dine on meals designed and created by "Top Chefs" Richard Blais, Antonia Lofaso, Paul Qui and Angelo Sosa. Art icon Mister Cartoon will create an art installation live at the event that will be available as part of the auction along with works by Patrick Martinez, Ed Ruscha and Dustin Yellin.

The Foundation has partnered with Nike to serve as a sponsor of the University of Texas's cancer awareness game against Baylor University on Sat., Oct. 20. In front of more than 100,000 fans at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium, and millions watching on the nationally-televised broadcast by ABC, Nike LIVESTRONG will make a special on-field presentation prior to the start of the second quarter, which will be dedicated as the LIVESTRONG quarter. At the start of the LIVESTRONG quarter, the entire 17,000-seat student section will reveal LIVESTRONG t-shirts created especially for this game by Nike. In addition, the Foundation will have two booths on-site and representatives will be available to speak with fans about the organization's free services available to anyone affected by cancer and ways to take action in supporting the cancer cause.

On Sun., Oct. 21, the Team LIVESTRONG Challenge will get underway with a monumental cycling event in the heart of downtown Austin. Leaving from the north side of Palmer Events Center on Riverside Drive, nearly 4,000 cyclists will ride 18, 65 or 100 miles, based on their experience and fitness level. Registration is still open and the entry fee for all riders is $50. For those passionate about fighting cancer, the Foundation offers additional fundraising opportunities while supporting programs and free services for cancer survivors and their loved ones. Keeping with the tradition of all Team LIVESTRONG Challenge events, the Foundation will host a post-event party for riders and spectators. The party is open to the public and will feature local food vendors, Team LIVESTRONG sponsors, an activity area for kids, classes from Black Swan Yoga and a day of free live music with performances by Emily Wolfe, The Black & White Years, Saints of Valory and Tennis presented by local music-driven production company, The Sessions. For more information, visit TeamLIVESTRONG.org.

AbouttheLance Armstrong Foundation
The Lance Armstrong Foundation serves people affected by cancer and empowers them to take action against the world's leading cause of death. With its iconic yellow LIVESTRONG wristband, the Foundation became a symbol of hope and inspiration to people throughout the world affected by cancer. Created in 1997 by cancer survivor and champion cyclist Lance Armstrong, the Foundation provides free patient navigation services to survivors with financial, emotional and practical challenges that accompany the disease. Known for its powerful brand -- LIVESTRONG -- the Foundation is also a leader in the global movement on behalf of 28 million people living with cancer today. Since its inception in 1997, the Foundation has raised nearly $500 million for the fight against cancer. For more information, visit LIVESTRONG.org.